Portable Hygiene Kit

ABSTRACT

An improved portable hygiene kit comprising a washcloth, pouch and a sealed water bag is presented. The washcloth features a built in pouch which is layered with a water resistant sheet. For use, a person would release the water either by performing a hand twisting action or bending to cause the sealed water bag to rupture and release the water into the absorbent side of the washcloth. The user can also fold the edges of the washcloth and twist the sealed water bag in order to release the water. The user can subsequently clean his or her face, hands, and body with the dampened washcloth. After washing the user can then use the dry portion of the pouch to dry parts of the body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Keeping clean and removing dirt from various parts of the body arenecessary for good health. Every year millions of people, mostlychildren, die from diseases associated with sanitation and hygiene.These children are often located in areas that lack access to cleanrunning water and adequate supplies to clean themselves. In emergencysituations such as earthquakes or war many, individuals are left withouta method of cleaning themselves. Often times, water sources aredisconnected and there is no flowing water. It is difficult to obtainaccess to barrels of water, run clean water or to establish a connectionto a clean water source.

A variety of products have been used to clean the body during emergencysituations. These can include individual packages of tissue,transportation of water to the scene of an emergency or dispensablepackages of wipes. The transportation of these products to the the sceneof an emergency might occur at different times and the productsthemselves might become dirty and unusable. In addition, packages ofwipes might contain hydrogen peroxide, saline or other disinfectantsthat can burn the eyes, face or a wound.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the problems associated with personal hygiene and keeping thebody clean in emergency situations, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a hygiene kit that is designed to take into accountthe difficulties associated with cleaning the body when access tobathrooms, fresh water and other cleaning facilities are not available.The hygiene kit would be used to cleanse and refresh the hands, face andbody. It can also be used for small medical applications and initialcleaning of wounds.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a hygiene kitthat is also easily accessible for hospitals, cars, families, officespaces, entertainers, boy scouts, construction workers or any locationwithout readily available water supply due to an emergency situation.For example, it is difficult to drop barrels of water from an emergencyairplane or helicopter. The hygiene kit could be dropped from theseemergency vehicles or simply distributed quickly to large groups ofpeople. The hygiene kit could be distributed along with food and otheremergency items.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a hygiene kitthat is easy to manufacture. The sheets of cotton or similar materialcan be made in variable sizes and quickly assembled in order todistribute expeditiously in emergency situations.

Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a unitaryhygiene kit that allows the user to remove dirt from the body followedby quickly drying off using the attached pouch.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved portable hygienekit for cleaning the hands, face, body, small medical applications andinitial cleaning of wounds is presented. The portable hygiene kitcomprises a washcloth, a pouch having a water resistant bottom layer anda sealed water bag. The washcloth is sufficiently sized in order toclean parts of the body. A pouch with a water resistant sheet connectedto bottom layer is connected to the washcloth. The water resistant sheetprevents the passage of moisture onto the pouch. The pouch issufficiently sized in order to house a sealed water bag, to receive thehands of a user and to wipe areas of the body. The top side of the pouchhas an opening that is sufficiently sized to insert the sealed water bagand a user's hands. The washcloth can be constructed of a clothmaterial. The water resistant sheet can be constructed of a plasticmaterial.

The sealed water bag is loosely placed into the pouch. For use, a personwould release the water either by performing a hand twisting action orbending to cause the sealed water bag to rupture and release the waterinto the absorbent side of the washcloth. The user can also fold thewashcloth in half and twist the sealed water bag in order to release thewater. The user can subsequently clean his or her face, hands, and body,or clean a fresh wound with the moisturized part of the washcloth. Afterwashing the user can then use the pouch portion of the kit to dry partsof the body. The washcloth can be discarded, washed or sterilized forlater use.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a hygiene kitwith various manufacturing options. The water and cloth can be subjectedto various sterile treatments and sealed in clean plastic bags. Thisallows the water to be used for either drinking and cleaning Inaddition, the hygiene kit could be used for small medical applicationsand cleaning of wounds obtained in a catastrophe situation.

The hygiene kit can contain more than one sealed water packages whichcan be distributed to large groups of people.

Additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The foregoing features and other aspects of the invention will becomemore apparent from the drawings, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portable hygiene kit of apreferred embodiment according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sealed water bag.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sealed water bag.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the pouch in an open positionwith the sealed water bag being inserted.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the waterresistant sheet being connected to the bottom layer of the pouch.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a user folding the sealed water bag inorder to release water into the washcloth.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a user twisting the sealed water bag inorder to release water into the washcloth.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a user compressing the sealed water bagin order to release water into the washcloth.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of the sealed water bag whereinthe sealed water bag has an opening and is refillable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment ofthe portable hygiene kit, the present invention generally indicated bythe numeral 10. The portable hygiene kit 10 comprising a washcloth 12, apouch 18 and a sealed water bag 32. The washcloth 12 is adapted to havea width 14 and a length 16. The washcloth 12 can be constructed of acloth material and is adequately sized to facilitate wiping of parts ofthe body. The washcloth 12 has a built in pouch 18 with a bottom layer20. The bottom layer 20 of the pouch 18 is connected to a waterresistant sheet 22. The water resistant sheet 22 is bonded to the bottomlayer 20 of the pouch 18 along the perimeter 38 of said pouch 18. Thewater resistant sheet 22 prevents the pouch 18 from becoming moistened.The water resistant sheet 22 can be constructed of a plastic material.

The pouch 18 has a first side 24, a second side 26, a top side 28 and abottom side 30. The first side 24, the second side 26, the top side 28and the bottom side 30 of the pouch 18 is connected to the washcloth 12in order to house at least one sealed water bag 32.

The top side 28 of the pouch 18 has an opening 34 that is sufficientlysized in order to insert the sealed water bag 32. The opening 34 on thetop side 28 is sufficiently sized in order to receive the hand of a userand a sealed water bag 32.

The sealed water 32 bag is filled with water 42 and is sealed along theperiphery 36 of the sealed water bag 32.

The pouch 18 is adequately sized to facilitate drying parts of the bodyand is sufficiently sized in order to house the sealed water bag 32. Thepouch 18 can be connected to the washcloth 12 by stitching.

The sealed water bag 32 can be constructed from a thin plastic materialwhich is adaptable to release the water 42 by twisting, folding orcompressing the washcloth 12.

After washing the user can then use the pouch 18 to dry parts of thebody. The washcloth 10 can be discarded, washed or sterilized for lateruse.

In a second embodiment of the portable hygiene kit 10, the sealed waterbag 32 can have an opening in order to refill the water 42. This allowsthe user to reuse the portable hygiene kit 10 on multiple occasions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable hygiene kit comprising: a. a washclothhaving a width and a length; b. wherein said washcloth having a pouch;c. wherein said pouch having a bottom layer; d. wherein said bottomlayer of said pouch being connected to a water resistant sheet; e.wherein said water resistant sheet being bonded to said bottom layer ofsaid pouch along the perimeter of said pouch; f. wherein said pouch hasa first side, a second side, a top side and a bottom side; g. whereinsaid first side, said second side, said top side and said bottom side ofsaid pouch is connected to said washcloth in order to house at least onesealed water bag; h. wherein said top side of said pouch has an openingthat is sufficiently sized in order to insert said sealed water bag; i.wherein said opening on said top side is sufficiently sized in order toreceive the hand of a user; j. wherein said sealed water bag beingfilled with water; k. Wherein said sealed water bag being sealed alongthe periphery of said sealed water bag.
 2. The washcloth of claim 1wherein said washcloth can be constructed of a cloth material.
 3. Thewashcloth of claim 1 wherein said washcloth is adequately sized tofacilitate wiping of parts of the body.
 4. The washcloth of claim 1wherein said water resistant sheet can be constructed of a plasticmaterial.
 5. The pouch of claim 1 wherein said pouch is adequately sizedto facilitate drying parts of the body.
 6. The pouch of claim 1 whereinsaid pouch is sufficiently sized in order to house said sealed waterbag.
 7. The pouch of claim 1 wherein said pouch can be connected to saidwashcloth by stitching.
 8. The sealed water bag of claim 1 wherein saidsealed water bag can be constructed from a thin plastic material.
 9. Thesealed water bag of claim 1 wherein said sealed water bag can releasesaid water into said washcloth by twisting said washcloth.
 10. Thesealed water bag of claim 1 wherein said sealed water bag can releasesaid water into said washcloth by folding said washcloth.
 11. The sealedwater bag of claim 1 wherein said sealed water bag can release saidwater into said washcloth by compressing said washcloth.
 12. The sealedwater bag of claim 1 wherein said sealed water bag can have an openingin order to refill the water.